Movie #1728 ........................."Impact"

Movie #1728 "Impact" -- watched this the other day in the early morning when it played on TCM -- I had never seen it before, Brian Donlevy had the lead (which was not very often), and the story line was unique --- you can read the plot line below, and I read what it was about and wanted to see how it would end --- Then the bonus was Helen Walker as the wicked wife, and I always thought she was very good.  Donlevy never smiles so his character was glum pretty much through the whole thing --- I didn't get that he was falling in love with this girl he met at the gas station.  It peaked my interest that she had overalls on and looked like a guy and she was fixing his car, but it's a 1949 film, so I knew he would be taking the lug wrench away from her and show her how to do it.  I kind of chuckled at that. And even though I could predict a lot of what was going to happen on the romance story line, I couldn't on how the story unfolds.  I'd give it 3.5  for its interesting story line, but there was some underacting by the two main characters, and kind of preachy in places (eg. at the very end they went to a lawbook and read from it, defining the word "impact'"  just for those who don't know how the title might tie in to the movie.  Silly even though it comes from 1949.  I'd give it 3.5 out of 4.

Impact (1949)

Approved | 1h 51min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir | 1 April 1949 (USA)

A unfaithful wife plots with her lover to kill her husband, but the lover is accidentally killed instead. The husband stays in hiding, and lets his wife be charged with conspiracy.

Director:

 Arthur Lubin

Writers:

 Dorothy Davenport (screenplay) (as Dorothy Reid), Jay Dratler (screenplay)  | 1 more credit »

Stars:

 Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn